Exercising device.



PATENTED APR. 17, 1906.

T. R. GEISEL. BXERUISING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED DBG.2'I.1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THEODOR ROBERT GEISEL, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

EXERCISING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. April 17, 1906.

Application filed 1 61? 27, 1905. Serial No. 293A'75.

T aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THEODOR ROBERT GEIsEL, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Springfield, in the county of I'Iampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Exercising Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention consists, in an exercising apparatus or device, of a rod having stops at its ends, a pair of tubular handles slidable on the rod and arranged the one separated from the other and each at a distance from an end of the rod, a spiral spring encircling the middle portion of the bar having its outer ends in engagement with the ends of the tubular handles, and two further spiral springs encircling the portions of the bar between the outer ends of said handles and the end stops, and, furthermore, in certain specific formations of parts included in the device, all substantially as hereinafter fully described, and set forth in the claims.

A device constructed as above characterized constitutes simple, very cheaply constructed, and convenient means by which a person may obtain exercise not only in swinging the arms outwardly against a force or resistance while the handles are grasped by the hands for exercising one set of muscles, but also by swinging the arms toward each other against another yielding force or resistance for especially exercising the triceps and chest and abdominal muscles, which latter muscular exercising this device is particularly well adapted for, and which particular character of exercising is not capable of accomplishment by the most generally-used exercising devices or machines.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of the device, the sliding tubular handles and the end stop-nuts being shown in longitudinal section. Fig. 2 is in part a side view and in part a longitudinal section of one of the handles on a larger scale. Fig. 3 is a view showing end connections with the springs to the handles and stops for the purpose hereinafter explained. I

'In the drawings, A. represents a long straight rod, preferably of metal, and having a length usually of from four to five feet. The end portions of the rod are necked down and screw-threaded, as re resented at b, and made with the shoulders (1 on which reduced threaded portion are screw engaged the nuts resistance imposed by a I f, which are set against the said shoulders and constitute end stops. A spiral spring B, having the coils thereof quite open, is placed in an encircling relation about the intermediate portion of the rod, and such spring may havea normal or distended length, which is advantageously nearly one-half of the length of the rod. A pair of tubular wood handles C C are placed about and adapted to slide endwise of, the rod at each end of the intermediate spring B, and two other spiral springs D D encircle the portions of the. rod between the outer end of the handles and the end stopnuts. The tubular handles are preferably made of wood, and each handle is provided with metallic washers g g at its opposite ends, such washers being secured in any suitable way, as by the screws h, to the handles. These washers protect the ends of the handles from the destructive action thereagainst of the ends of the recoiling spring.

The user grasping the handles of the device, which may be held with the arms extended in a variety of directions and relative positions,

forces the handles alternately outwardly and inwardly,first against the compression of the outer spring and next against the compression of the intermediate spring, the range of movements of the handles being considerable, due to the widely-open character of the spring-coils and the capability of such coils to assume very much contracted relations.

In case after long continued use of the device the springs become lazy or dead by the removal of one or both of the end stops new springs may replace those which have become impaired.

The entire device being in the general form of a long straight bar is in no way cumbersome or unsightly, and when not in use may be disposed in any most convenient and unobtrusive position.

. By connecting the outer ends of the spiral spring B to the inner ends of the sliding handles, as represented at m, and by connecting the inner ends of the outer spiral springs D to the outer ends of the handles, as represented at n, and by furthermore confining the outer ends of the spiral springs D against movement endwise relatively to the rodas, for

instance, by making a fixed engagement with which resistances will be alternately by stretchings and by compressions of the springs.

I claim 1. An exercising device consisting of a rod, having stops at its ends, a pair of tubular handles slidable on the rod and arranged the one separated from the other, and each at a distance from an end of the rod, a spiral spring encircling the middle portion of the rod having its outer ends in engagement with the ends of the tubular handles, and two further spiral springs encircling the portions of the rod between the outer ends of said handles and the end stops.

2. An exercising device consisting of a rod, having at its ends necked-downscrew-threaded portions and shoulders, and nuts screwengaging said threaded portions set against said shoulders, constituting end stops, a pair of tubular wood handles provided with'metallic washers at their opposite ends slidable on the rod and arranged the oneseparated from the other, and each'at a distance from an end of the rod, a spiral spring encircling the middle portion of the rod having its outer I ends in engagement with the Washer-provided ends of the tubular handles, and two other spiral springs encircling the portions of the rod between the outer ends of said handles and the end stop-nuts.

3. An exercising device consisting of a rod, having stops at its ends, a pair of tubular handles slidable on the rod and arranged the one separated from the other, and each at a distance from an end of the rod, a s iral spring encircling the middle portion 0 the rod having its outer ends connected with the inner ends of the tubular handles, and two further spiral springs encircling the portions of the rod and between the outer ends of said handles and the end stops, and having their inner ends connected with the handles of their outer ends confined against movement relatively to the rod.

Signed by me at Springfield, Massachusetts, in presence of two subscribing witnesses.- I

THEODOR ROBERT GEISEL. Witnesses:

G. R. DRISOOLL, WM. S. BELLOWS. 

